Woman's Necklace

late 19th-early 20th century

Necklaces like this one were made by the Ainu people, who inhabited parts of Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands before those areas were claimed by Japanese and Russian settlers. Ainu women wore these necklaces on formal occasions, and the necklaces were also displayed inside houses, alongside other treasured items. The origin of the glass beads may have contributed to the value of these items, as they were often imported from the southern islands of Japan or other foreign sources, traveling through extensive trade routes that linked the Ainu to distant communities in Manchuria and Sakhalin, among others.